The United States’ final game before the Gold Cup was a disaster for Gregg Berhalter’s side, which got crushed by Venezuela in Cincinnati.
Coming off a depressing loss to Jamaica on Wednesday night in Washington, Gregg Berhalter and the United States men’s national team needed a strong performance Sunday against Venezuela in Cincinnati to reclaim some confidence ahead of the Gold Cup.
They did not get it.
Thanks to a series of defensive errors in the first half and an attack that failed to break through Venezuela’s deep-lying defense, the Americans fell 3-0 in front of 23,955 at Nippert Stadium.
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Positives
The international debut…
Bruce Arena played coy about his return to the sideline after taking over as New England Revolution sporting director and head coach on May 14. Despite being handed the responsibility of remaking the Revs and hauling an MLS 1.0 organization into the MLS 3.0 era, Arena chose not to immediately take the reins of the first.
We may never see another player like Chris Wondolowski. Not only is Wondolowski a unique blend of talent, perseverance, humility and guile, he followed a path to an all-time goalscoring record in Major League Soccer that is practically gone in 2019.
Does it feel like the lease is getting shorter for Major League Soccer head coaches? Three managers have already been fired in 2019, with two teams — FC Cincinnati and New England — making changes just this past week.
Everyone is tired. The schedule is getting hot and heavy and that’s even before the weather really kicks in and the swelter arrives. Quick turnarounds and demanding travel are taking a toll on teams across the league.
April showers bring May flowers… and set up wild MLS seasons chock full of surprising results and consensus-smashing results.
Major League Soccer doesn’t really do undefeated teams, at least not for long. There are too many ways to trip in a league where even the worst clubs can sometimes sneak a win through either poor opponent finishing and or a bit of luck.
It took just six weeks for a consensus top team to emerge from the pack in the 2019 MLS season. While several teams can claim to be among the league’s elite, just one is undefeated and has a double-digit goal differential. Bob Bradley’s LAFC is playing attractive, attacking soccer while showing a ruthlessness that should scare everyone else across the league.